This post was written by Hatchet reporter Aaron Esparza.
After a dominating five-game conference win streak, the women’s volleyball team’s momentum finally came to an abrupt halt against Duquesne on Friday night.
Either due to overconfidence or just simple away-game exhaustion, the Colonials, up 11-9, could not keep up with Duquesne’s relentless offense in the first set, and were put away by a blistering 16-1 run by the Dukes.
“Looking back at this early struggle,” head coach Amanda Ault said, “I think we played a little laid back and played the way that we did before [the win streak].”
Throughout the second set, it looked as if GW had finally discovered the necessary adjustments to get back into the match. The Colonials dramatically cut down on their mistakes, dropping their errors from 14 to 7, while also increasing their total attacks. Although the Dukes still held the lead, the Colonials were visibly determined to keep the game within striking range.
With Duquesne leading just 24-23, after a 24-19 lead only moments before, GW seemed to have the momentum to eek out the win in the set. GW’s last best shot at evening the match, however, would be quickly lost to a decisive kill from Duquesne’s Mary Henry.
Down 2-0, the Colonials returned to their old habits that held them back in the first set. The errors amounted and the attacks became more desperate, all the while Duquesne maintained their lethally efficient game plan. In the end, the Colonials lost the last set 25-16 in the same predictable manner as the first two.
While hAult said that “we were collectively overmatched” and “communication broke down,” the play of some Colonials, such as junior Landon Garvik was crucial in maintaining the team’s composure. Garvik racked up 10 kills in the game.
Instead of backing down to the steady scoring from Duquesne, Garvik took “aggressive swings” even when the 3-0 outcome looked inevitable.
The team plays George Mason this Sunday at 1 p.m. The Colonials will also take on the Dukes again at the Smith Center next Sunday.
